Johnston City Hall Might Get a Makeover

Fluctuating temperatures and odors from outside sources could be a thing of the post if the Johnston City Council on Monday approves upgrades to City Hall that would make the building more energy efficient and comfortable for employees.

City Administrator Jim Sanders told the Des Moines Register he will recommend improvements to the building, that was originally built as a Hy-Vee grocery store, the used as the city's library before becoming City Hall. The work includes upgrading the air conditioning and humidification units, replacing the boiler that heats the building, and upgrading the systems that control temperatures.

The total price for the upgrades is estimated at $353,600, the newspaper said.

Once the work is done, the city’s gas and electric costs for City Hall could drop about $6,000 from $21,000 annually, Sanders said.

“Some of our equipment and systems are reaching the end of their useful life,” Sanders told the newspaper. “The systems we have currently in place are not very energy efficient.”

If the council approves the work at a future meeting, the upgrades can be made in late summer or early fall, the Register said. The work would require the building to be without air conditioning or heat for a few days.